Mourning A Lord of the Rings Fiction
by leeuhmm
Summary: This is a story set in Middle Earth in Rhun. The timeline is the fourth age, a few hundred years after the events of The Lord of the Rings. I have a very long series planned for this story and have been working on it for about a year. The more encouragement I get the faster I will try to finish :D. I welcome all constructive criticism!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 "East"

The wind whipped through Mother's hair, long dark strands covered her face. She stopped walking and quickly set down the basket in her left hand. Just as quickly, she lowered her son down with her right arm. He began to whimper immediately as she swept up the stands of hair, bundled them loosely, and tied them with a piece of yarn, taking only seconds to do this. She swept up her son again, and picked up her basket while resuming her brisk walk.

Yes, Mother was her name, her only name. In Eastern culture women were rarely given names, and she was no exception. To her husband she was Wife, and to her children, Mother. She despised her husband as she despised just about everything in her life, except her children, her instinct to mother them was all she had, and she loved them despite her cold demeanor. And so, her name was Mother.

Indeed she rarely walked this road alone. All women in this land never traveled alone if possible, for the men on the streets would eye them lustfully, and if they could get them in a secluded spot, do much worse. This was not frowned upon by the general public, in fact the women were blamed in such a case for not having a husband or other man to protect them. So she moved warily and quickly, not making eye contact with others and not stopping for more than a few seconds. The only reason she was out here today was for the sake of her son who had developed a rash and needed an ointment. Her husband was out, and the boy was inconsolable, so she risked the trip into the city to get what he needed.

Her older son Ninrun was seven years old and she left him home with orders to stay in the yard. Rinkun was the younger by four years. Against her will she remembered her daughter who had died in childbirth a year ago. With a great force of will she kept her eyes dry at the thought of the dead baby in her arms. Her husband, had not mourned the loss of their daughter, and scoffed at her sorrow, saying that it was only a girl anyway and she was obviously too weak to live in this world. Gha! She despised him!

While she was lost in thought, she had not noticed a burly man who was walking the opposite direction stop and turn to follow her. After a half minute of this Rinkun had noticed the stranger and began crying. Mother did not notice the reason for this and did not slow down, shifting the basket to the other hand, she rubbed the child's back to try and calm him. The burly brute closed the distance between them until he was only a few feet behind. It was his unpleasant smell that alerted Mother. She stiffened slightly but did not stop; she could now see the outline of her home approaching.

With a grunt the man reached for her, but Mother was prepared. She dodged to one side despite her load and the great paw missed her. The man laughed and swung his arm at her but she dodged it and clutching her son ran for the house! He lugged after her still chuckling darkly, as if enjoying the chase of his prey. Realizing she would not make it, Mother stooped and all but threw Rinkun ahead screaming "Get to the house. NOW!" The frightened child obeyed and waddled towards the property. Mother turned to see a great hand slap her in the head.

She fell on her side, her ears ringing with pain at the blow. The brute grabbed her and threw her like a doll into the wall that ran parallel to the road; she hit the wall with her back and head, reeling from the assault and slumped to the ground at the base. An older man in the house across the road saw the assault and looked at Mother for a brief moment, then turned and closed his window. The man sauntered towards her with dark lust in his eyes, but before he could reach her something struck him in the head with great force and he bellowed in pain as a thrown rock fell to the ground. The man held his head and blood flowed from a fresh wound near his temple. Mother reacted and despite her battered body dragged herself towards the house. Looking up she saw Ninrun her son grab another rock and fling it at her attacker. This one struck him in the knee and he gave another howl of pain. However, he turned and saw the young boy, in a great rage he stood despite his wounds and charged Ninrun.

"No! Don't!" Screamed Mother, but the man did not stop. Ninrun reached for a third rock and threw it at the man's face but this one missed and the man struck Ninrun in the side of the head and the boy fell in a heap. Mother gave a cry of fear and rage, instinct took over and she forgot everything but her son, crawling towards him. The man turned back to her and was red with fury. Before he could advance on her though, another man rode up on horse like the wind. Before Mother could comprehend what happened the man was on the ground in a heap, a knife stuck in his back and blood pooling on the ground.

Mother rushed to the side of her son. Ninrun was unconscious but appeared ok. The horsed man turned and rode back up to them, and Mother saw that it was her husband Taurun. He glared at her, "Always making trouble for me woman!" he sneered and then looked at his son. "Is the boy alive?" He asked her. "He'll be fine." She answered softly. Taurun sneered again then turned his horse and trotted up to the house, leaving them there. Mother scooped up her son and limped after him, leaving the dead rapist's body crumpled in the road….


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 "Youth without Youth"

A ten-year-old boy with dark hair and blue eyes faced down his opponent. Across from him was another boy, maybe three years older, approaching him with raised fists. The younger boy showed no fear and stood down this challenge, though he looked quickly to his left and right for a possible escape, knowing he stood little chance in this fight. He spotted his six-year-old brother crouched down about thirty yards to his right. The day before, the brother had stolen a knife from the older boy and escaped. Today in the market, the older boy had seen the knife in the brother's hand, and confronted him, but the blue eyed older brother had seen this and intervened.

The older boy was flanked by four other boys ranging in age from thirteen to ten. These now filtered down the flanks of Blue Eyes, cutting off any escape. Blue Eyes peeked once again at his brother, who's eyes were darting around as if he was about to run. A second later he did so, sprinting in the direction of their home. Blue Eyes sighed, feeling miffed that his brother was fleeing, but relieved that he wasn't in danger anymore.

The older boy continued to advance on him, and Blue Eyes readied himself, crouching down slightly on the balls of his feet. Just as the older boy got near and loaded up one fist for a punch, Blue Eyes judged his distance then head butted the older boy square in the nose. The height difference added up perfectly, and the bully's nose broke, spurting blood over both of them. He quickly fell to the ground clutching his face. The bully's cronies saw this and rushed in, but Blue Eyes had not waited to admire the result of his quick hit, and was able to roll past one of the boys before they could surround him. He stepped up to the nearest one and hit him square in the jaw, dropping the boy to his knees.

The next boy in grabbed Blue Eyes from behind, and held him while another hit him in the stomach. Blue Eyes grunted in pain and another boy hit him in the face, bloodying his lip. Blue Eyes reacted throwing his head back and catching enough of the boy holding him to get free, but he was immediately tackled by the other boys. They kicked at him as Blue Eyes covered up to try and lessen the damage.

"Stop!" yelled the first bully. The boys stopped kicking Blue Eyes and one of them dragged him to his feet. His left eye was blackened, his nose and mouth bleeding, and his face bruised. The bully's nose was still bleeding heavily as he walked up to Blue Eyes, and pulled a knife from his boot. Pointing it at him he said, "After I kill you, your brother is next."

"Hey!" Yelled a female voice from behind them. The bully looked up just in time for a rock to strike him in the face. He howled in pain as another rock hit one of the cronies holding Blue Eyes. Blue Eyes threw an elbow into the gut of the other boy holding him and ran in the direction of the rock thrower. Under a barrage of stones the bullies did not follow, but ran in the other direction. Blue Eyes looked up and saw a friend looking concernedly at him. It was a girl named Gin. Most girls didn't have names in this country; Blue Eyes only ever knew his mother as, well mother. She however had given herself a name that they both used.

"Are you ok Nin? You look terrible." She said. "It was nothing, thanks for the timely rescue." Ninrun said sarcastically. Gin narrowed her eyes at him. "What was that about?" she asked with attitude. "Rin was causing trouble again." Nin said. Gin sighed, "You know you should stop fighting his battles Nin, he deserves it anyway." "He's my brother Gin, they would have killed him." Nin glared at her. "Still…" She said.

Looking at his battered face her mood softened, "Come on I'll walk you home." "I'll be fine alone." He said grumpily. Gin's face went red for a second, but she didn't reply, just kept walking in the direction of Nin's house. Nin's blue eyes looked at her softly and she turned to meet his gaze. "I'm sorry." He said simply. Gin couldn't stay mad at him when he used those eyes on her. "I'll forgive you since your face looks like a mushroom." She jabbed. Nin smirked and they continued toward the house.

They reached Nin's home, a small wooden structure with little decoration, and four rooms, and he headed towards it while Gin continued down the road to her home. Nin looked at her with concern. She was still young enough that most of the predators did not look at her, but the more sick ones, well you never knew. Nin still remembered the day he found his mother being attacked by one of those bastards three years ago, and bore a scar on his forehead from being knocked unconscious by him. He entered the home and saw mother preparing the evening meal. He also saw Rin, squatting down in the corner, still playing with the knife. Nin strode over to him and snatched the knife from his brother. Rin's eyes flashed with fury for a second, and then his face fell as he saw his battered brother, his eyes falling to the floor without a word. Nin tucked the knife in his belt, and walked towards Mother. She looked up and saw his state. "Dammit Nin, what happened to you?" She glared with a mixture of anger and concern. "Nothing Mother."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 "Not By Choice"

Fourteen year old Ninrun stepped out to a bright morning sun and blue sky. The boy stretched his frozen limbs in the chill air. The East was mostly desert, but Ninrun's village lay in a basin that received more water than usually, so the land was more fertile, and the winter's colder. He stamped over the frosty ground to the well and drew a bucket of water with chucks of ice in it. He held his breathe, and plunged his head full into the bucket. He pulled his head out sputtering and shaking. He dried his head best he could in his wool jacket, and shook out his hair, wide awake thanks to his little bath.

Foot steps came behind him and turned to see Father trudging towards him. Ninrun quickly moved aside to allow his father access to the well. Father was always in a fouler mood in the morning, and Nin didn't want to create trouble. Taurun went to the bucket and splashed his face with water. He turned and sneered at Nin, which was nothing unexpected, "I want you to take my wife into town and fetch some ale today. I have the Overseers coming tonight, and I want them well pleased." He said. "Yes father." Replied Nin bluntly. Taurun stared at his son a minute longer as if looking for a reason to become angry, them turned and stamped towards the house. Nin exhaled audibly, glad to be rid of the man. He did not fear his father for his own sake, but Taurun was much nastier to his wife when upset, so for her sake, Nin behaved.

An hour later, Nin and Mother departed for the market. They headed north up the frosty main road, their breath visible in the chill. Mother was wrapped in a hooded shawl. The years were become less kind to her; a few grays dotted her black hair. Age lines were beginning to form in her pale face, which was grim as ever, and her eyes a hard rich brown. Life was difficult in this country, especially for the women, but Mother had a deep love for her children which kept her strong.

She looked over at Ninrun. The boy was closer to a man he would become than the boy he had been. His messy dark locks matched his Mothers, his face was set with a hard jaw, small scars from old fights, and constant worry lines in his brow, but when he smiled, he was actually very handsome. His eyes were a piercing ice blue, and he knew how to use them; very few could endure his stare. He was tall now, his body hardened from the life they lived. He returned his Mother's gaze. Neither of them spoke, and their faces remained grim, but Nin's blue eyes glittered in the sun, and Mother's brown eyes softened warmly.

They reached town and purchased the beer with no event. Nin heaved the small barrel onto his shoulders and carried it with some effort. Against her will Mother remembered the day seven years ago that a brute had followed her home and attacked her. She still shuddered to think of what would have happened had the animal had his way with her, to her and her children. Nin despite his load was vigilant, and where Mother kept her eyes down, he stared down any passers, and none challenged him.

When they reached the stop in the road where the attack had occurred all those years ago, Nin stopped suddenly. Mother went two steps before realizing his pause, then stopped as well and turned to face him, wrapping her shawl tighter around her. Nin looked at her with a strange expression, almost as if debating something. "Nin, what is it?" Mother inquired. "I love you Mother." Nin said softly, not breaking his gaze. Mother was shocked as such words were rarely spoken in their culture, though the words for love did exist in the native tongues. Mother stood in the cold for a full minute, and after the shock passed, she strode back to him and helped him set the barrel down. She stared at him for a moment then said, "And I you my son." Nin did not speak, but a rare joy warmed him to hear his Mother say it. Mother turned and walked away her face turned down, but she also felt great joy and pride in her son, and for the first time she could remember, she smiled.

They returned to the house together, and Ninrun set the barrel down in the main room, and leaned against the wall to rest. Mother went to the small kitchen to prepare breakfast for them. A moment later Taurun walked into the house, Rinkun jogging right behind. Rin was now ten, he was stockier than his brother had been, but also had the makings of being very strong. His hair was lighter, closer to Taurun's brown, and his eyes were the same deep brown as Mother's.

Taurun continued into his own "bedroom" and Rin followed. Nin sat up wearily watched them. Peaking around the corner he saw Taurun holding a knife, demonstrating several slashing and stabbing motions to Rin. Rin was watching with fierce desire in his eyes. Nin did not like this, Rin was always very aggressive, and took after his father more than Nin. Taurun noticeable preferred his younger son. Nin went one step into the room and spoke, "What are you doing father?" "Don't question me." Taurun dismissed with a glare, and continued his demonstration. Nin persisted, "Father I don't believe this is wise." "And what would YOU know about it BOY!" Taurun spat at his son taking a step towards him. "Father please, Rin is not old enough to know these things." Nin said calmly. Taurun swept towards Nin and back handed him across the face.

Nin fell back into the hallway, and Mother gasped as she saw the exchange unfold. Taurun continued towards Nin grabbing a handful of his shirt, "I will not have you question my word ever again." He sneered. Nin returned the scornful look, "I always question the actions of a fool!" Taurun roared with fury and threw Nin into the main room. Nin stood quickly and faced his father down. Taurun pointed at him and said, "I will have your respect, you are my son!" "Not by choice Father!" Nin shouted. Taurun ran towards him and hit him closed fist across the face. Nin fell, and could feel his eye swelling. Taurun did not speak again and stalked back to his bedroom. "Not by choice…." Nin repeated.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 "Fallen Angel"

Two weeks later, Nin wandered through the tree line about a quarter mile behind his home. The black eye his father gave him was almost faded away, just a yellow tinge left. As he went about with little purpose in mind, he thought of his father, who was a personification of the vicious society he lived in. Nin knew a small amount of the history of his people and the country of Rhun.

Hundreds of years ago, the great dark lord controlled much of the east lands. Rhun was at his command and he called often of their warriors to fight the men of the west. Eventually, the dark lord was overcome, and his land destroyed. The western men showed the Easterlings little mercy as they drove the scattered survivors into the Far East. The Easterlings survived in small bands during the renewed reign of the Sea Kings. About 200 years after the Dark Lord's fall, new power arose in the Easterlings, and many re-established their domain in Rhun.

Nin knew nothing of the Men of the West except the stories of the Easterlings, which painted them as cruel enemies, meant to be forever hated. Nin despised eastern culture, and was wise enough to know the stories of these enemies may not be entirely truthful. Over the last year, thoughts of leaving this land had arisen in him, but he knew not where he could go, and he would not leave his mother.

He mentally shook himself from his thoughts, and realized his wandering had brought him near Gin's house. He wished he could walk up and see her, but Gin's parents could have been relatives of his father, and despised Nin. It was getting late so Nin turned towards home. "Nin!" Cried Gin's voice. Nin turned to see her jogging towards him urgently. Her face was fearful, "Nin get home quick, I heard the overseers talking today in the market. Apparently your father owes them something; they are going to attack your family!" "When did you hear this?!" Nin asked in fear. The overseers controlled the village and surrounding area, and were completely ruthless. The stories of their actions against those that wronged them were horrid.

"This morning! I-I tried to get away to warn you, but my father had me doing chores all day!" Nin did not wait any longer, but sprinted away towards home. Gin watched him go in fear, she'd had opportunities earlier that day to go and warn him, but she feared that he would be hurt as well, so she waited over long. When she saw him outside though, she couldn't keep it from him any longer; she knew he loved his mother.

Nin ran like he never had before. He knew that even though his father was who the overseers were after, they would likely kill his mother and brother, or worse. In his haste, he reached the house in half the usual time. As he approached he saw smoke rising from his home. He ran around from behind the house screaming, "MOTHER!" The front room of the house was in on fire, flames licking through the entrance. The fire must have been recently set because it had not reached the rest of the house yet. Nin ran to the well and filled the bucket with water. Going back he doused as much of the fire around the entrance as he could. He went back and filled the bucket again. It took four buckets before the flames died enough for his the go in. He covered his face with his sleeve and ran through the smoke.

"Mother!" he screamed again, "Rin!" "Nin…" A choked voice answered. Nin looked towards the kitchen and saw mother sprawled on the floor. Half her clothing had been torn off, and she was bleeding from a wound in her abdomen. Nin ran to her, lifted her onto his shoulders and carried her out of the blaze. He stumbled, and they both fell to the frozen ground outside.

Nin pulled off his jacket and tried to cover her as best he could. Her face was bruised and pale, and Nin could feel the warm blood pouring onto his legs. He pulled off his shirt and pressed it to the wound. "Mother, where is Rin?" He asked urgently. "Gone…" She answered weakly. "Did they take him?" He asked, but she began to cough violently, blood coming up from her mouth. Nin looked in horror as her chest rose weakly two more times, then went still. "Mother!" Nin screamed shakily. He began to hyperventilate, retching sobs choked from him. He groaned and shook for almost a minute before tears began to flow, and clutched his mother's body and collapsed.

When Nin came to, he was disorientated. He was lying on a straw mattress on his back, and was wearing a fresh shirt and jacket. As the realization returned to him of what had happened, he jumped up and began looking desperately for his mother's body, which was gone. The first thing he saw was Rin, sitting cross legged in front of him. His head was bowed, his face expressionless. When he saw Nin awake he looked at him coldly. "Rin! Are you ok?" Nin asked him. Rin did not answer, simply looked back at the ground. Nin looked around him and saw they were still in front of the house, which was no longer on fire. About a third of it was burnt to the ground, and he could see his father and some other men clearing away burnt debris. "Father!" Nin cried. Taurun looked at his son with a blank expression. "Where is mother?" Asked Nin coldly. Taurun nodded over to a mound next to a tree about fifty yards away.

Nin just stared numbly, not able to feel arms or legs. After a minute, he stumbled over to the fresh grave. There was no marker, and Nin fell to his knees next to it. Reaching with a numb finger, he scratched words into the dirt, I LOVE YOU. Tears formed again in Nin's eyes as waves of agony ripped through him. He heard footsteps approach, and Taurun's shadow appeared from behind him. The sun was just setting casting orange light over the hard ground. "You mustn't be soft boy." Taurun said coldly.

Nin looked up at his father who was eyeing the grave as if he had lost a possession rather than his wife. Furious at his indifference Nin growled, "Where were you." "I took your brother and ran, if I hadn't we would have been dead with her." At this information hot rage burned through Nin. Rising to his feet, he stood nose to nose with Taurun. "You mean you left her here?" Taurun seemed to falter at his son's rage-filled eyes. He stepped back and turned saying, "She was a shitty cook anyway." Nin stood still for a few seconds unable to process what his father had just said. Taurun had begun walking away. Nin had begun shaking and in an instant he roared furiously and charged his father like a bull.

Taurun heard the roar but reacted too late. Nin hit him like a charging bear, and Taurun was planted into the ground. Nin began to punch him with all his might and rage. Taurun covered up as best he could as blows rained down on him. The other men who were there stood by and did nothing, and Rin looked up with a shocked expression. Taurun found a gap in his son's assault and managed to land a punch, knocking Nin off of him. Nin recovered and charged Taurun again, but his father side stepped him, and in his blind rage Nin fell face first into the dirt.

Breathing deeply Nin regained his head as Taurun shouted, "My only regret boy is that you weren't in there with her!" "You sick bastard! I hope those monsters kill you slowly!" Nin bellowed. Taurun glared at his son then returned to work on the house. Nin let him go, panting in exhaustion. He looked up and met Rin's eyes. His brother looked at him in shock and fear, and then turned to look at Taurun. His gaze dodged back and forth several times, before he got up and ran to his father. Nin watched him go coldly, and then stood up. "He's all yours brother…." Nin said under his breath, then turned and stumbled away towards the trees.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 "Cat and Mouse"

Nin sat in a tree. It was early, just before dawn. The sky was a dark blue fading into lavender and orange in the east. The winter season in this land was often short, lasting only about eight weeks or so, and the air was already less crisp the, thin layer of snow beginning to recede. It had been a month since the death of Nin's mother, and he had not seen his father or brother since.

He had heard in town that Taurun had not rebuilt his home, but chose to find new property in order to hide from the overseers. Nin did not know where his father and brother had settled, but he still kept tabs on the activities of the overseers, and knew they had not found them yet. It was fairly easy to disappear in this land, and many residents who were wanted in other lands for crimes, found it easy to blend in here. Nin knew Taurun could stay out off the map for quite some time. As far as he knew, the overseers believed both of Taurun's sons were still with him, and so they were not actively pursuing Nin.

The ruins of Nin's old home remained in their desolate state. Nin would visit them often, but always in hiding, lest the surrounding villagers find out who we was and alert the overseers. His sometimes sat near his mother's grave at night, listening to the night wind and grieving for her. He had fashioned a plaque out of wood planks, and carved his final message to his mother, "I Love You," into it to preserve it, then placed it at the foot of the mound which was slowly fading back into even ground. At the bottom of the plaque he had added the words, "Fallen Angel."

Nin had taken to living in the woods surrounding the village, trapping and hunting small game, receiving some help from his friend Gin, and at times stealing what he needed to survive. A stream cut across the wood heading towards town, and Nin had found a very small cave carved at the base of a small hill in the bank of the stream. This is where he spent most nights, but at times he would sleep in the ruins of the house, which was becoming increasingly more risky.

His only real contact was with Gin. When she could sneak away from her parents, she would find him and they would share information they had gathered, hunt, or just sit together. Nin found their relationship confusing. The society he was raised in gave him no examples of affection or feeling towards the opposite sex. In the east, women were trophies to be possessed, and to bear children, and men were protection from the pigs who stalked the streets. Nin thought of Gin as a friend first, but as he grew older, and new feelings came to him, he saw no other potential partners for him. Gin was different, and like he was, able to feel love and compassion for someone.

Neither had gathered the courage to speak about their feelings, or attempt anything physical, so the stalemate remained. Deep down Nin almost felt held back by the fact that he had no other options but Gin. Gin felt differently however, she wished for no other suitor than Nin, even though he was now an outlaw. Her feelings for him were more primal; she cared for him, but desired him more. As her body matured, she took to following other single teens in the village, attempting to look attractive and sexy for Nin. But this often had the opposite effect on him, as he despised the slutty nature of typical village girls. He told her often that the things he liked most in her were her differences from the average easterner. This often left her feeling confused on how to win his affection.

Nin did think Gin was attractive. Her hair was not quite as dark as his, but did remind him somewhat of his mother's. He noticed the filling out of her chest and hips, and the way her body moved. Her eyes were a dark green, and her complexion dark, like most easterners. He found it a difficult and confusing process to distinguish what held him back about Gin, but his daily life left him little time to ponder it. Survival was always priority one, and his relationships took the back burner. She however pondered almost constantly on how to make him hers, and lost herself more and more often in his blue eyes.

Nin had dozed off slightly on his tree branch as he thought. The rays of the rising sun woke him, and with a sigh he climbed skillfully through the branches and dropped to the cold ground. He stretched his arms and yawned. He set off in the direction of the village. Gin and himself had made plans to meet that morning and do some information gathering about Nin's situation. He was hungry, but he ignored that for now. He had a small re-curved bow that he had made during his time in the woods for hunting small game, and he was becoming a good shot with it. It was back in the cave now though, so he would get it later and try to find a meal if he couldn't get something in town.

Nin walked with bowed shoulders north up the road. The road would then join two others at a main road which lead east into the village. As he came up on the main road, a voice caught his ear, one he had not heard a month, though it seemed like years. He stopped dead in his tracks listening, "That asshole merchant who wanted me to pay silver for ale just because we are running." Then another younger voice answered, one that Nin had not heard in even longer, "What did you do to him father?" Nin's heart leapt out of his chest when he recognized Rin's voice.

Reacting instinctively, Nin ducked and crept behind a small brush on the side of the road. His father and brother approached heading away from the village, and Nin heard his father chuckle darkly and answer, "Stupid fool didn't know his wife was raped last week by an overseer's body guard, I told him they would find out if he didn't give me a fair price." Nin was used to this kind of chilling dialogue amongst his people, but hearing his father speak to Rin this way turned his stomach. As they passed his hiding place Nin was able to catch a glimpse of the same eager expression on Rin's face that he had seen six weeks ago.

Nin tuned out the remainder of the conversation, but followed his father and brother, dodging through the tall grass on the side of the road, and forgetting his previous plans with Gin. Keeping his distance he remained unseen. Taurun and Rin continued at a meager pace. As he followed Nin thought to himself that they were very unwary for people in hiding. They made no effort to check their surroundings, or to conceal themselves or their route. After about half a mile they reached the crossing where the road splintered into three paths each going to a different housing area. The South path led to where their old home was the ruins of which Nin now haunted. The main road continued west to a richer housing district, and this was the direction and Taurun and Rin went, with Nin now following.

After another 15 minutes, Taurun and Rin began to become more wary, occasionally peeking behind themselves to spot any followers. Nin was forced to be more careful, and trail at a further distance, though he knew by his father and brother's behavior they had to be close to their residence. Nin reached a spot in the brush where low branches forced him to crawl. He dropped and began belly crawling as fast as he could. When he came up on the other side, his father and brother were no longer visible.

Nin stayed silently in his crouch and surveyed the area ahead. His father and brother had obviously left the road, but he could see no path, trail, or even a break in the trees from where he was to indicate where. He closed his eyes and listened close. He could hear the chattering of small animals, a light wind rustling the trees, but no footfall. Taurun and Rin must have been treading very carefully. After a minute Nin risked venturing out onto the road again. He loped softly out of the brush and looked closer at the tree line for any clue. He continued carefully forward down the road, and a bit further down he found his clue.

On the opposite side of the road from where Nin had hidden there was a deep ditch, and in the softer grass at the bottom Nin could see a distinct foot print. It was not large enough to be Taurun's, most likely Rin had misplaced his foot. Looking further in, Nin could also see some noticeably bend twigs of shorter trees, reaffirming that this was where his estranged kin were hiding out.

Nin wondered for a moment why he was seeking them out. He had absolutely no desire to see his father. Though the white hot rage he had felt the last time he saw him had cooled, the deep throbbing hate he felt for him was stronger than ever. Thinking of how Taurun had treated Mother made Nin's stomach turn. Thinking of mother threatened to brings tears to Nin's eyes, and thinking of Rin….. Yes, Nin now knew what he needed to do. Rin was quickly following his father's wicked ways, and soon Nin feared he would lose him. He remembered clearly the fascination in his brother's eyes at the mention of violence. How Taurun had nurtured this tendency the same way Mother had nurtured kindness in Nin. Time was running out.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6 "Old Wounds"

Nin treaded carefully over the soft grass, into the ditch and back up the far side, not leaving any foot prints of his own. He continued softly into the woods, barely making a crack of dead leaves or snap of bramble against his body, lest his father hear and realize he had been discovered. He was impressed by how well they masked their passage through the brush, and Nin had a difficult time tracking them, however he had become quite good in the woods during the last six weeks. Indeed it was necessary for his survival, and he managed to find the subtlest of signs of their path, though his going was very slow. He was patient, knowing that once they reached their settlement his father would likely drop his guard.

After about thirty minutes of tracking Nin's theory proved correct, and their path became much easier to find. He could easily see now foot prints, both Taurun's large and Rin's smaller and more carelessly broken twigs and branches. Nin stayed wary, not wanting to give them any indication he was discovering them. His father was an evil man, but not entirely stupid. Nin did not put it past him to have a trap set, or to lure a pursuer into an ambush if he had realized someone was following. It proved however, that perhaps Taurun was over confident in his hiding place, or not planning on staying long, because Nin came across no such danger.

With his improved pace Nin, after only about ten more minutes, reached a clearing in the trees. He could see several of them had fallen over fairly recently creating a small glade. Nin wondered if his father had cleared these trees himself, and a bad taste crept into his mouth at this thought. Nin loved the forests near where he lived, and despised the arid deserts that made up most of the east lands. The fertile lands here were a true gift, yet the people here treated them with cruel indifference, taking from them with no regard, as they did everything. Nin's brow furrowed as it almost constantly did, and he wanted to spit for the coppery taste in his mouth. He crept closer and then sat in a lithe crouch to look closer. He took a minute to shake his head, as if trying to rid it of the hateful thoughts there, a habit he had developed as he got older.

Staring into the clearing he saw a small hut, hastily constructed, at the far end of the clearing. All around he saw signs of what was left of his broken family's presence. Animal hides and bones carelessly thrown about, small items likely stolen or bartered for in an unorganized muddle. Nothing of what he saw surprised Nin, and he felt a strong desire to just turn around and leave this chaos behind. With his mother gone, there was not much left to tie him to this land. He cared for Gin, but he knew if he asked her to leave with him she would. He could protect them, and with luck they could find their way out of the east, to this western kingdom that the hateful rumors centered on. He could not leave without at least trying to sway his little brother, though he knew Taurun's hold on his younger son was strong, and the odds were against convincing Rin to leave him. As for Nin, if he perished in his attempt to escape this hellish place it was still better than surviving here.

Overcoming his desire to leave, Nin watched carefully for a sign of Taurun and Rin, his dark grey shirt and slacks blending in with the shadows of the trees. From inside the hut Rin emerged, and he was alone. The boy stood and wandered carelessly around the hut towards the trees. Nin still could not see Taurun, which made him nervous. He took about twenty seconds to scan the trees around the glade in case Taurun was out there, but detected nothing. Swiftly and silently he emerged from his crouch and danced between the trees, circling the glade to his left. The trees thinned nearer to the far side where the hut stood. As he neared Nin slowed, moving as quietly as he could. The entrance to the hut was on the right side in relation to Nin's hiding place when he first reached the glade, so by going left Nin approached from the rear of the hut. He was silent as he came within about fifty feet of it, and he heard then a distinct scrapping sound. It meant Taurun was still inside to Nin's relief, and it sounded like he was sharpening a knife with a whetting stone. Nin looked out into the woods in the direction his brother had gone. He couldn't see him but could faintly here his footfall over the dead leaves. Moving as quietly as he could, Nin followed the sound of Rin's footsteps amazed that he had this chance to get Rin alone.

Rin had not gone very far, his footsteps stopped after only another minute. Nin quickly caught up to him, and finally saw his brother again. Rin's back was to Nin, facing a tree, which Nin realized he was pissing on. Nin crept forward, and with his sound masked by Rin relieving himself he was able to get within ten feet of his brother. As Rin finished, his ears pricked. Whether he heard something or some instinct warned him something was near Nin did not know, but Rin began to turn. Not wanting Rin to shout and bring Taurun, Nin sprang forward, his long legs crossing the distance in two strides, and grabbed Rin mid-turn. He managed to turn his body as well and end up behind Rin with one hand clasped over the boy's mouth.

Rin grunted into the hand and began to thrash, but Nin was much bigger and held him like a vice. "Calm down kid." Nin said quietly into Rin's ear. Rin's eyes looked up into his brother's face. The panic in them turned quickly to shock, and Nin felt a very small measure of relief as well, but quickly they turned cold. Nin's heart began to fall as he looked into those eyes, his mother's eyes, the softest brown Nin had ever known. But his brother's eyes were poisoned with his father's cold disdain, and discouragement flooded Nin. In that moment he knew that Rin was gone, his father's puppet through and through.

Nin felt his arms go weak, and Rin threw Nin off of him and backing up a few steps looked at him. Nin's stomach was turning, and he couldn't bear to look Rin in the eye again. The anguish of his mother's death was fresh again in his heart. "How did you find us?" Rin asked with contempt. Nin's answering voice was almost monotone, "Found your foot print in the ditch off the road." A bolt of fear seemed to go across Rin's face at the knowledge that despite his father's intense warning not to leave any sign, he had given them away. He regained his composure quickly and asked again, "What do you want Nin?" Nin chuckled without humor, "To see my little brother again, what else?"

"You left!" Rin half shouted. "You insulted father, and you left. Why do you want to see me now?" Nin seemed to recover some measure of conviction at the mention of Taurun. "Father deserved to be insulted. Mother was the only good thing any of us had, and he abandoned her, then all but spat on her! Don't you remember your mother Rin?" "She was weak…." Rin answered softly. "Father says we are better off with out her. And without you…." "Don't you see what he is Rin?" Nin asked in an almost pleading voice. "He is exactly what is wrong with this place, ruthless, cold, and evil." "I like this place. Here strong people take what they want. Father is strong! And he says I can be strong like him!" Rin said with misplaced pride. "You would have been jelly on the end of some brute's fist many times if not for me Rin." Nin accused. "You think you can have what you want at no expense, but that's not the way the world works! Father believes the same, and now the overseers have a price on our heads. They already took mother, and it's his fault! He's a fool!"

Nin's voice was rising with his anger. He knew that if this continued Taurun could hear them, but he couldn't help himself. "Father says we will take care of them soon. Then we can go back to our old life, and people will fear us." Rin snickered. "Kill them Rin?" Nin said coldly. "Why don't you just say it? He is going to try and kill them. If he fails, they are going to kill you both. Is that what you want?" "It has to be done!" Rin was shouting now. "There is no other choice." "Yes there is, we can leave this place. There are better lands out there Rin, together you and I could find them." Nin answered, now pleading again. "No! I like this place. You know the stories of the tall men, they deal with strange creatures, and slaughtered us like sheep after the great wars! Father is right! You and mother were fools! I'm glad she is gone! I hope the overseers catch you so you can be dead like HER!"

Rin was furious and had started moving closer to his brother as he shouted so that by the end he was on his toes right in Nin's face. Nin stood his ground and sadness was radiating from him. He barely heard his brother's words but felt the hate in them. When Rin mentioned Mother however, Nin looked back to Rin and anger filled him. At Rin's last word Nin lost control, red filled his vision and before he knew what he was doing he reached back with his right hand and punched his little brother. Rin took the blow on his right cheek. It had not been as hard as Nin could hit, but it was enough to knock him off his feet and daze him. Nin looked down in horror, both at Rin and himself. Rin recovered and stared up at Nin with hate in his eyes. He crawled to his feet and backed away from Nin with out another word. Rubbing his face he turned and walked away, stomping through the trees towards the glade.

Nin stood motionless watching him go. His breath was so shallow it was almost gone. His skin tingled with a numbness that went to his very soul. He was utterly horrified at himself, and heart broken that his brother who he had protected and loved since they were young, had turned his back on him completely. It was several minutes before he could even move. Some detached part of his brain recognized that Taurun could come after him anytime, and who knows what he would do. The desire to leave was back, and now Nin heeded it. He turned and stumbled through the trees, not bothering to be silent anymore, just wanting to be far away from here.

For whatever reason, no pursuit came after Nin. He wouldn't have cared either way. He wandered aimlessly through the trees, not paying any attention to his direction. After hours of wandering, Nin began to find himself again. He looked up and noticed the sun had crested hours ago. It was going quickly to evening. He looked around, not recognizing in the slightest where he was. He might have panicked under normal case, but he had no room left in his mind for it. He figured he had wandered mainly west from his encounter with Rin, so he figured going south east was his best chance of finding the road again. He used the falling sun to find his direction and moved as quickly through the woods as possible. With amazement, he realized that he had turned in his wandering south and slightly east. By this stroke of luck it was only about thirty minutes before he reached the road. He was still far west of his home, further west than the nearest housing district for the village, he did not exactly know how far. Evening was coming fast, and the air was quickly becoming chilled. Nin had not brought his jacket, not planning to be out so long. Again he shook his head, trying to get rid of the images of his brother's hate filled eyes, and the feeling of his fist connecting with Rin's face. He focused and raised his head.

He was about to turn and start heading east, but some compulsion caused him to turn west first and look. He pondered for a moment what it would feel like to go that way, to leave this hateful place behind forever. As he stared with lost thoughts, he noticed a glint in one of the trees. Staring closer he jumped in fear and alarm. There was something staring at him from a tree maybe a quarter mile away! Nin almost ran, but something caused him to stare back at the creature. It looked like a man, but something told Rin it was not. It was lithe and graceful looking, perfectly comfortable on the tree limb it was perched on. Its skin was fair white, with long white hair in ornate braids. The flash Nin had seen was its eyes. Bright blue like his, but lighter, like ice flashing in the sun. Its expression was stern, and Nin felt a strange fascination at it. Quickly however, a bolt of fear struck him like a sword through his chest, despite this creature's appearance, some instinct told Nin to fear it, and he began to hyperventilate. With a gasp he turned and ran as fast as he could east on the road.

He didn't look back. He sprinted until his lungs wanted to burst, and then kept going. He felt like somehow that beautiful creature was pursuing him to the death. He ran for his life. He didn't know how much time passed, but he reached the west housing district. He collapsed in the road, breathing heavily, realizing now that nothing had been pursuing him except his own fear. He couldn't understand what about that thing had frightened him so, but he knew one thing, he never wanted to see it again. Part of him was darkly fascinated with it. What could this creature have been? He thought to the tales of his people about strange creatures that the Men of the West had dealings with. Could this have been one of them? The tales said those things had disappeared many years ago, and Nin could not remember the word for them. Despite this, he was desperately afraid, and felt now trapped in this horrid eastern land. Was there no sanctuary for him?

Nin's breath came back under control. He managed to rise on shaking legs and wrap his arms around himself. The wind picked up and chill seeped into his skin. The sun was quickly falling, and Nin had never wished to be somewhere familiar this much in his life. He quickly continued walking, knowing it was only about an hour to his old home.

The sun was nearly set when he arrived. He approached the ruins of his home, his head bowed, as weary as he had ever been in his life. When he approached, he realized Gin was sitting in front of desolate home, wrapped in a grey cloak. She looked up and recognized him. She rose and went to him with relief on her face. "Nin! Where have you been?! I thought you were caught, you scared me to dea-." She cut off abruptly as she saw the look in his face. He had no words for her and just shook his head and he continued towards the ruins. He sat heavily with his back to a half burnt wall as she had been. Gin didn't press him, but followed and sat back down next to him. She wrapped the cloak around both of them and they sat in silence. After several minutes, Nin fell asleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 "Companion"

Nin woke the next morning, stiff and cold. While Gin's cloak had stopped him from freezing to death, it had not made for a cozy sleep, though Nin's exhaustion from the previous day had kept him in a deep slumber, where dreams of pale monsters haunted his subconscious. The sun was just rising, its morning rays tinting his vision red through closed eye lids. He had slumped over on his side in the night, as he forced his stiff muscles into straightening to a sitting position he noticed Gin was gone. He was not surprised at this, about a year ago she had come home late after she and Nin had been forced to hide from a man who thought she had stolen a loaf of bread. He had been drunk and spent hours searching the square for them, forcing them to remain hidden under a hay bale. Nin remembered how she had clutched his hand to keep herself from trembling and giving away their hiding place. Despite having to hold miserably still for so long, Nin enjoyed the closeness. She was compassionate, such a rare trait in this place, and he craved her softness.

When they had finally emerged they had kept their hands clasped while they ran towards home. It had been well after dark when they finally made it, and they released each other reluctantly. The next morning, Gin had had bruises on her face and arms inflicted by her father. Nin hoped that she would not look similar this time, or worse…. Nin's eye lids still felt so heavy. He felt as if he could not completely raise them, and his eyes remained unfocused on the frosty pale grass. This kind of haunted expression became more and more common place for Nin as he aged. He did not consciously know how often he wore it.

Nin habitually shook his head, his shaggy dark hair whipping around him. He stood and stretched his frozen body, willing his muscles back to life. His lips were blue, and his bright blue eyes ringed with purple shadows. He breathed slowly and deeply, focusing his mind. The cerulean morning was pleasant. Nin felt a longing in his heart towards this land, this small oasis in the brutal eastern desert. Though it had not been spared the plague of evil that was rooted in this country, it stood almost symbolically against the harsh environment. Indeed he loved its beauty, and it was not only the fear born of yesterday's events that tied him here. Nin drew some inexplicable strength from it. He did not understand it, but it was instinctually present in his heart.

Nin's enjoyment was short-lived as was custom in his lifestyle. He realized that other villagers were beginning to rise, and many of them knew him; he could not stay. Ducking his head, Nin quickly started off towards the trees, before the old man who lived across the road a ways could spy him. The same man who had turned a blind eye towards Mother's assault those many years ago.

As he passed his mother's grave, Nin forced himself to look at it. It would have been easier to avoid the sight, and the subsequent anguish of her memory, but Nin did not allow himself to go cold. His potent compassion and feeling was what set him apart, and he treasured these qualities. So he endured the waves of torturous loneliness and grief that ripped through him, and repeated the words carved in her grave marker in his head, "I love you." In silence he passed the tiny sepulcher, heading towards Gin's home.

Gin and Nin had a trick for informing her of his approach, since her parents would not allow him anywhere near their homestead. There was an exceptionally gnarled and mangled tree maybe 70 yards from the house. It was easily seen and distinguished from the house. In the mass of tangled branches there was a noticeable window, in which hung a single twisted limb. Nin approached the old tree, and using its many knots easily climbed it as he had many times. When he reached the window, about 12 yards high, he reached for this limb. When they had formed this signal Nin had carefully peeled a section of bark away, creating a bare patch on the limb, but leaving the bark attached at one end, so it could be put back in place where it held with some strands of yarn. Nin Slipped the yarn away, allowing the bark to be peeled back and exposing the bald spot. This was completely unnoticeable to anyone who didn't know where to look, but an easily noticed sign to Gin's trained eyes. They agreed she would look through out the day every 30 minutes to the window, incase Nin was there, which she did with utmost diligence. Nin left the signal ready and climbed out of the tree. He sat down at the base to wait for her. His heavy eyes began to close, eager for a quick nap while he waited.

What Nin did not know, was Gin was exceptionally worried about him, and had been checking the signal every 10 minutes that day, if not more. So she noticed the signal almost right away. Luckily, her father was out, and her mother was a little easier to sneak away from, whether her attention lapses were a little purposeful or not Gin did not know. She was in her small room, where from her window she could see the old tree easily. She quickly listened hard for her mother, and could hear her in the other room. She was making faint moaning noises, something Gin heard often, especially when father was away. She did not know for certain what the noises were, but had a suspicion.

Gin took advantage of her mother's preoccupation and climbing silently out the window, headed towards the trees. Nin had just barely closed his eyes a minute when he heard her approaching, and, just a little reluctantly, stood up to greet her. He noticed immediately her skin looked normal, no obscene bruises or other injuries, and he was greatly relieved. She looked at him with soft eyes, her brow was furrowed with intense worry. Nin stared back wearily, unable to find words. She approached him slowly at first then quickly lunged at him and embraced him tightly. Nin softly wrapped his arms around her. In silence they stayed in embrace until Gin pulled away. "What happened to you?" She asks Nin in earnest concern, "I waited all morning in town for you." Nin's response was barely a whisper, "I found them." Gin's face went quickly through a procession of emotion, from confusion, to shock, to understanding, to horror. Nin never raised his eyes. "What happened?" She inquired carefully. It took Nin a minute to respond, "I hit Rin. I spoke to him, tried to convince him to leave father. He became angry, then I hit him. He's gone."

Overwhelming loneliness overcame Nin as he spoke. Each word seemed to sink the reality of what had happened deeper into his heart, amplifying his regret. Gin turned her eyes down as well. Resentment boiled in her towards the ungrateful brother Nin had cared so much for, who now had turned his back on him. She tried to hide this from Nin, not wanting to cause him further pain, but he saw the emotions behind her eyes. She knew she was doing a poor job of concealing her feelings, and she tried to smile apologetically. Nin did not return the smile, his heart being utterly cold. He felt so defeated, the frosty morning feeling like nothing compared to the feeling in his chest. She reached for his hand in a last attempt to comfort him, he allowed her to take it, but did not return the pressure of her fingers. Gin began to suck her bottom lip into her teeth, chewing on it as she debated how to get through the icy wall that was now between them. A desperate fire began to burn inside her, and before she knew exactly what she was doing, she lunged into Nin and pressed her lip to his.

The kiss last about five seconds, five fierce desperate seconds as Gin's lips moved against his. To her he tasted sweet and cool, and she pressed herself into him hard enough to throw them off balance. In response Nin was forced to hold her at the waist so as to remain upright. His eyes widened in absolute shock, then closed instinctively. He didn't know whether it was the shock of what happened or if Gin did manage to break through the ice barrier that suppressed his emotions, but he reacted to her kiss, moving his lips in return for the last second or two. When they broke apart it took them both several seconds to process what had happened, during which Gin remained in his arms. Nin's thoughts had been slow and heavy before, and they remained so, but in a different way. Before it had seemed his thoughts were heavy and dragged through his mind as if coated in ice, now it felt like his mind was filled with gelatin. Gin was gasping with anticipation of how he would react to her.

Nin's eyes met hers, and his were filled with confusion, as if he had just woken from a deep sleep, but hers were filled with passionate fire, tinged with fear. Some force was drawing them close again though, Nin felt compelled by the look of wanting in her face, it made him forget who he was, where he was, and his neck began to bend to begin another kiss, she turned her head to accept him eagerly and their lips approached- SNAP!

The crack of a branch behind Gin, made them both jump, she whirled out of his arms in fear, and saw the last thing she wanted to in that moment. Her father stood a few paces away, his eyes wide and piercing, rage visibly washing over his plump face.

Both Nin and Gin felt their breath leave them. Adrenaline surged through Nin, washing away the remnants of the cold stupor he had been trapped in. Suddenly his thoughts were racing with anticipation, fear, and thoughts of flight, knowing his physical being was likely at stake. However, he stood his ground, knowing that Gin was in just as much danger, he battled with his instinct to run as he simultaneously prepared to possible battle with the enraged man in front of him.

Gin's father moved in a flash, charging them with a bellow like an Oliphaunt. Gin found her voice quickly and shrieked in panic. She turned and pushed Nin away, urging him to run. Nin hesitated and lost the opportunity to do so, the man was bearing down on him with hands reaching for his throat. He lithely pirouetted and side stepped the plump man, through as he passed the large man's hip caught him and knocked him off balance. Nin swiftly recovered, but saw Gin's father turning to run at him again. Gin swiftly grabbed Nin by tunic and threw him with all her force away towards the forest shrieking, "GO!" Nin saw that Gin's father only was focused on him at the moment, so he gave in and ran for his life. He turned back to make sure the man was pursuing him, which he was much quicker than Nin had thought. Nin put his head down and flew through the trees.

After a minute he had put more distance between him and his pursuer, the larger man was tiring quickly. Nin turned and began leading the man in a large circle, hoping to beat him back to Gin and get her away from him. He looked back again and saw that Gin's father probably suspected his plan since he was making a sharper arc back to where they had started, but he was laboring heavily, his round face beat red, and looking like a tomato with a large mustache. Nin's stride became for even, his breathing more timed, a run more than a desperate sprint. Even at this pace he easily continued to out-distance Gin's father. As he approached the area where they had started, he did not see Gin, the signal tree stood alone. Nin's head whipped around looking for her, but it would appear she had not stayed.

Gin knew where Nin's cave in the forest was, and she knew that he could easily out run her very fat father, so she had not waited for them, but ran as quick as she could for the place, knowing eventually Nin would realize and meet her there. Nin did realize quickly, but knew he could not lead Gin's father there, so he continued running briskly in the opposite direction of the river. Gin's father stopped pursuing him. Nin saw the man stop and double over with exhaustion. He slowed to a jogging pace, and watched as the man reared back and gave a shout of rage that echoed in the trees, then stamped towards his home, with spittle flying from his lips with every furious heave of his chest.

Nin continued to run briskly for a bit longer, then turned and slowed to a walk. He did not know whether the man would continue to follow him, or was planning on tracking him, so to be safe he went in a random direction and turned often, sometimes doubling back to throw off any future pursuit. After maybe an hour he felt satisfied and turned towards the cave.

It was nearly noon when he reached the place, and the sun had come out, warm and bright. The exertion combined with the warmer weather helped root out the terrible cold that had seeped so deeply into Nin's bones since the previous day. His mind wandered over a list of worries, what would Gin's father do to her? What would he try to do to Nin? Nin had no doubt he would likely contact the overseers, there was no bounty on Nin that he knew of, but that was of little importance to Gin's father now no doubt. The encounter with Rin was still in the back of Nin's mind though less prevalent now. Last of all, what to do about Gin, and the kiss.

He half slid down the small hill which curved in a bowl shape down to the stream's edge, the small cave lay under the hill, inside of which were two stumps that Nin and Gin used for chairs, he usually slept on the ground. Gin had heard him coming and walked out to meet him as he rounded the side of the hill. She ran to him and leapt into his arms. He caught her easily and held her, but lightly. He was still not sure how he felt now that the magnetic passion of the moment had passed. "What took you so damn long?" She asked facetiously. Nin rolled his eyes and answered, "Yes, I should have come straight here and led your murderous father to our hideaway, brilliant." She smirked knowingly and leaned in to kiss him. Nin closed his eyes, but sadly, and turned his face so that the kiss landed on his cheek. Gin pulled away and looked at him with hurt and confusion in her face. Nin looked at her firmly, his lips pressed into an expression of regret, but resolve. She wordlessly accepted his feelings, and looked away in disappointment.

Nin didn't like it, he wanted to give her what she wanted, but knew he could not do so honestly. His heart was already holding too much. Not for the last time, he felt older than his age, and also not for the last time, he missed his mother.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8 "Burn"

Ninkun's fiery blue eyes be held for the first time in a long time, his old home. In the two years since it had been burnt down by the overseers, the ruins had worn and crumbled away, but the foundation remained. It had to have been a year since Nin had visited this place. The pressure on him had been turned up drastically then, the overseers had placed an official bounty on Nin, and he was now wanted for 100 pieces of silver. Not the most money that had ever been offered, but enough that Nin could only go into public in disguise, and had been forced to avoid this last memory of his previous life, since it was well known it had been his home, and the neighbors were no friends of his.

He strode on long legs into the clearing cautiously, it was still just before dawn, the sky turning a soft blue. He kept his head bowed, his long dark hair falling out of his hood. He looked over at the large tree maybe 20 meters away, at the base of which an old wooden plaque marked his mother's grave. Nin squeezed his eyes shut and fought the tide of emotions that swept through him. He missed his mother every day, and hated that he was forced to avoid her resting place. His heart had begun to burn with anger towards the beasts that had taken her from him. He was growing weary of running and hiding. He wanted them to pay. He turned and went to the plaque, kneeling over it, and placing his hand on it. He brushed away the dirt and leaves, and traced the words "I love you" with his fingers. "I miss you." He barely whispered to nobody. He shook his head, whipping his hair around his face, then with an audible breath he steeled himself, and suppressed the tears in his eyes, refusing to let them fall.

He rose and wrapped his jacket tighter around himself. It was spring, his favorite time of year, when the short but harsh desert winter gave way to fair temperatures and the return of animals. The morning was brisk, but that's not what put the chill in his body. He felt like he was being watched, a constant gnawing at his mind that came with being wanted. That's why despite his desire to see his mother's grave and their old home, he had avoided it for over a year. He started off again at a quick soft pace, keeping his head routinely bowed. As he reached the road and began heading north, he passed the home of the old neighbor man who Nin despised. The old bastard was known for sitting in his window or on his porch and just watching. Nine years ago he had just watched the attempted rape of Nin's mother, and last year he had vehemently squealed everything he knew about Nin's family to the overseers when they had come questioning about Nin's whereabouts, so Gin had told him. They had given the geriatric fucker a nickname: geriatric fucker.

Nin stared hatefully at the window. Just as he was about to drop his gaze, he noticed movement. He did not break his stride or otherwise give away that he had noticed anything, but looked harder into the window and saw the man was staring at him from deep inside the room! "Fucking pig." Nin hissed under his breath. He was so overcome with rage that his cautiousness went to the wind. He turned and threw back his hood, staring the creep right in the eyes. The bastard's eyes went wide as he saw Nin's furious stare. Unable to endure it, he got up and hobbled through the dark room to the window. Before he could slam it closed, Nin raised his middle finger in the universal gesture for "fuck you." Nin moved now at a quicker pace, knowing he had given away his location, but he didn't care. He chuckled to himself as a satisfied feeling swept through him, and he liked it.

Yes, Nin was growing tired of running and hiding. His life in the woods had made him strong. He was a fast runner, and had quick feet despite being very tall. He was also wiry strong and could climb trees very well. He had been practicing for a few years now with a bow and become a good shot, and could wield a knife very well also. He fed himself mostly by hunting and gathering, though he would steal at times if it was necessary. He lived in the trees, sometimes sleeping in the cave by the river he had discovered two years ago, or just laying out on a thick branch. He had sharp ears, and his lifestyle forced him to be very wary.

Nin tried hard not to think of the future. This life was what he knew, and he had resigned himself to it. All thoughts of leaving this land had been chased away by his encounter with an eldritch creature on the western road two years ago. He still had nightmares at times, and knew he was now doomed to remain here. Still, he hated this place, and felt he would find no peace here. The debate in his mind raged from time to time, but always to an impasse, so he tried to avoid it. He was tired of living by secrecy, and thoughts had crept upon him of taking the fight to those who were hunting him. Those who had stolen the one person he had loved.

Somewhere out in these forests, Nin's last remaining relatives were living no different lives. His father and brother, whom he had not seen in two years, also were being pursued by the overseers, and by all accounts had not been caught. Nin tried not to think of them also, and had not returned to the glade where he had found them living two years ago, not knowing if they had moved on from there yet. He had no desire to see them, especially his brother. Nin did not want to know how closely Rinkun resembled their father now.

As for Gin, Nin had still not pursued any romantic relationship with her. It was difficult to do so while living this way, especially since she still lived at home. Nin remembered his last encounter with her father, who had caught them in the middle of an impromptu kiss and attempted to strangle Nin before chasing him away. Afterwards he had all but imprisoned Gin inside the house, and Nin barely saw her for about six months after. Furthermore, he had gone to the overseers and told them of Nin, and not long after the bounty was set. Nin and Gin had seen much less of each other over the last two years than when they were kids, though they were still close, and helped each other whenever they could. She still wanted him, but had not attempted any further romance, knowing Nin was still unsure of his feelings. Nin deeply cared for her, and loved her even, and saw no other potential for a partner, but something held him back. Maybe it was fear of losing his only friend, maybe the lack of options made him feel forced into loving her. He did not know for sure, but for now things were at a standstill.

She was becoming desperate though. She was reaching the age where she could marry, and knew her father would likely sell her off once a good opportunity came. She wanted no other man than Ninkun, and wished badly that he would decide to be with her. They could run off together, she thought. Go somewhere he wasn't wanted and start a life. When she had mentioned leaving together to him many months ago, he had vehemently refused. She didn't understand why, but thought maybe it had to do with leaving his mother's memory, or maybe it was a reason she didn't know. He refused to speak about it.

Nin moved on towards the village. Little had changed on this well traveled road over the years. The strong winds from the surrounding desert still kicked up the dust into your every bodily orifice, and the rapists and thieves still meandered here at times, though they kept mostly to the markets. The sun was at times merciless in the mid-day, and the nights could be utterly chilling during any season, such was the strange climate of this temperate desert oasis. Nin's hood was now drawn up again and the long morning shadows still sufficed to hide his face. The road was now mostly empty but for the occasional drunk passed out on its side, and a few women heading early into the market since early morning was the safest time to travel. Both of these had no interest in Nin so he went in relative safety for now.

The shadows were significantly shorter when Nin reached the Village gate just on time. The gate had just opened, allowing him to slip inside anonymously. Nin was well practiced at arriving at just the right time to not draw attention to himself, one of the many skills he had acquired during the last two years. He avoided the center of the square, hugging the vertical wood posts that made up the market walls. He went at a steady pace, and waited for himself to become unnoticeable, just another face in the crowd. He pulled back his hood since it made him look suspicious, here very few people knew his face so he was not in great danger of being recognized.

After about an hour the sun was now fully up, the hour around 8:00 am. The market was nearly full now, and Nin meandered into the center a bit more, keeping his ears wide open. He was trying to pick up any gossip regarding his current situation, whether the Overseers had raised the bounty, or lowered it. How prevalent was Ninkun's name on the minds of the public. Another hour passed, and Nin heard very little of worth. An Overseer's daughter whom Nin had not heard of was set to marry a lord from the capital city and most likely would he would be moving there, which would vacate his position here. Power struggles were too common to be worth paying attention to especially for an outlaw. Also, a very bold rapist had attempted to overtake a very well known Overseer named Barach's young wife, and been beheaded in the middle of the square yesterday. Many of the street vermin were actually paid by some of those power to attempt to shame other Lords in such ways, and when caught were usually not shown more than thirty seconds worth of mercy.

Nin was growing hungry. He tried his best to ignore it but soon his stomach was audibly singing its discomfort. Nin was a fairly skilled pick-pocket, and sometimes could even swipe a piece of fruit or dried meat from a poorly watched stand. He tried to avoid doing this however, one because the penalty for being caught was usually being hung by the wrist from the scaffold until the hand became damaged beyond future use, or sometimes the more brutal merchants would kill you on the spot with little consequence. Apart from this, Nin had an unexplainable moral aversion to theft. Being raised in this land should have left him completely unopposed to such behavior. Nin cared little for the ones he stole from since many did worse deeds on a daily basis, but even so, he was ever wanting to distinguish himself from the stereotypical Easterling, so he rarely resorted to crime. Unfortunately, he at times found it unavoidable, especially in winter, when starvation was not an improbable fate.

This particular morning, Nin was still feeling very defiant after his encounter with the geriatric fucker, so he decided to pick something if he found a chance. He watched for one as he continued to eavesdrop on the market folk. His mind was rather busy this morning, thinking of his change in attitude, and what should his next move be if indeed he was committed to getting more bold. He still did not know the identity of the overseer who his father had crossed, and he felt this was the first thing he should try to discover, and he pondered how it could be done. The time passed quickly, and he continued not to hear anything regarding himself.

The hour was approaching 10:00 when Nin felt someone approach him from behind. He skillfully checked his rear unobtrusively, and recognized the only friendly face he knew in the world just as she reached him. Gin took his left arm in hers and fell casually into step beside him. Her curly dark hair was wild as usual, Gin paid little attention to it, but Nin found it an attractive style on her. Her tattered brown dress and hood were loosely fitting in the typical style of eastern women. She smiled at him, it had been nearly a week since they had seen each other, "How have you been?" Gin began the conversation. "I flipped off the geriatric fucker this morning." Nin told her with a devious glint in his eye. Gin raised her eyebrows in honest shock. "Do you joke?" "You know I never joke." Nin replied with a chuckle. "Isn't that dangerous?" Gin said with concern. Nin scoffed, "Our lives are always dangerous Gin, this place is hell, and I have had enough of running…." Gin looked at him hard. "Nin. I don't want to lose you. Please be careful." Nin stared back at her, and Gin saw the fierce resentment burning in his blue eyes, therefore she gain said him no more, being filled with empathy.

The two of them walked together a bit longer with some uneventful conversation. Nin stomach growled even louder now, enough that Gin heard it. Reaching in her pocket she pulled out two apples she had bought that morning. Nin smiled and thanked her as he bit deep into the fruit, savoring it. Gin took smaller bites of her apple and watched in contentment as he devoured his hungrily. It was then that she noticed something unexpected and disturbing, a large crowd beginning to gather in the center of the market, which was not in of itself unusual, but it was who was at the center of it that made her freeze: Taurun, Nin's father. Nin saw her stop and followed her eyes, and for the first time in two years, beheld his father surrounded by a growing mob.

Taurun was bound at the arms, his face was set in an ugly scowl, his lower lip was swollen and bleeding, as was his nose. Despite the scowl, Nin saw the fear in his father's face. He went absolutely still, his heart seemed to stop beating. Two very large men held Taurun while three others were beginning to erect a small scaffold next to him. A few paces away, the overseer Barach was standing with several bodyguards around him, glaring at Taurun in triumphant hatred. The mob was chattering ever more excitedly, Taurun was caught, and they were preparing to kill him. Realization dawned slowly on Nin, a chill ran through his body right to his toes. He knew not at all what to feel.

Barach turned and addressed the crowd, "All of you bear witness! This is the fugitive Taurun, who has eluded capture for two years following the cowardly abandonment of his home and family! This nave treacherously backed out of a barter struck with your lord Barach, receiving a great payment, and failing to complete the task to which he was set! As punishment, he shall be immediately put to death! Furthermore, let it be reminded the offenders two sons are still at large! Such treachery no doubt does not skip generations! The bounty on these two is raised now to 200 pieces of silver a piece! Let it be known that the lord Barach honors his bounties! Good Abado, step forward and claim your reward for information leading to this dog's capture, 300 silver coins!" The crowd gave a cheer of approval as a short merchant with a large scar along his cheek stepped up and was handed a significant sack of coins. "And now!" Announced Barach, "Let the offender hang!" The crowd gave a greater roar and as was traditional at executions all at once raised their middle fingers to Taurun, some of the men jumped forward and dropped their pants, exposing their asses and cocks, and taunting Taurun with foul remarks. One young woman jumped right up onto the now complete scaffold and exposed her breasts much the mirth of the already frenzied crowd.

Nin watched the repulsing events in disgust, his heart felt absolutely gone. His stare had gone cold and blank. Gin clutched his arm in terror, realizing that Nin was now among the most wanted men in the village. Nin wanted to look away from his father's face, but could not bring himself to. Taurun's expression was a mix of cold hatred and absolute terror. Though he despised the man, Nin could not stop the pity that welled in his gut, he was about to be truly orphaned.

Taurun was dragged now up to the scaffold as the jeering continued. Barach stood with crossed arms, his large bald head raised in arrogant satisfaction. One of the henchman took no time in wrapping the noose around Taurun's neck and violently pulled it taunt, causing Taurun to audibly choke and gasp. The man then kicked Taurun in the balls, dropping him to the ground with a grunt of agony, and bringing another cheer from the crowd. The executioner pulled on the hanging rope, dragging Taurun back to his feet. He then turned to Barach waiting for the order to drop the trap door. Barach walked up to the scaffold and smirked at Taurun, who glared back in pure hatred. Barach then reared and spit in Taurun's face, and turning on his heel raised his hand to signal the executioner to end Taurun's life.

Nin turned his face away now, unable to watch more. Gin buried her face in his shoulder and gripped his arm even tighter. The executioner tied a blindfold around Taurun's face, and Nin waited to hear the inevitable opening of the door and his father's demise, but suddenly a cry of fury went through the crowd. Nin opened his eyes, and they immediately went completely wide with horror at what he saw. The executioner was now lying on his stomach on the scaffold, his head reared back in a blood-curdling scream, a large knife stuck up to the hilts in his back. Behind him stood Rinkun, blood from the executioner's wound had sprayed on his face, a dark horrifying smile smeared there.

Nin's mouth dropped as Rin reached down and pulled the knife from the dying man's back with a sickening sound and more blood poured from the wound. Rin swiftly went to the hanging rope and began to cut it, the other henchman ran to the scaffold and began to jump on as the rope broke. Taurun became aware he was free and stumbled back in disorientation. As he fell off the back of the scaffold, Rin gave a cry like a predator cat and leapt at the nearest henchman with the bloody knife. The henchman was caught off guard by the leap and unable to stop the knife from disappearing into his neck. Thus more blood sprayed across the scaffold as his arteries were severed. Rin swift as a cat pulled the knife out again and turned to jump off the scaffold after his father, but first the next henchman seized the back of his tunic.

At this moment Nin, forgetting himself, started to run towards the scaffold, all grief towards his deranged brother, and his own safety forgotten, seeking to protect Rinkun. His arm was wrenched from Gin's hold, but she reacted immediately. Like an arrow she took off after Nin, and leapt at him, landing on his back, and catching him off guard. Nin was much larger than her, but in his surprise he lost his balance and they collapsed together. As this happened, the henchman who had caught Rin had in one motion thrown the boy like a doll back towards the other men. Another of them caught him, and though the boy thrashed madly, held him firm. Rin tried to slash with the knife, but the man had him by the wrist, he squeezed hard, twisted and jerked Rin's arm, there was a crack and Rin's wrist broke. In the sudden pain Rin dropped the knife and squealed though he continued to fight as if possessed.

Barach seeing the attempted rescue now rushed up to the scaffold with murder in his eyes. As the henchman continued to hold Rin, Barach seized the knife he had dropped. Nin now managed to throw Gin off him and stand, just in time to see Barach put the knife to his brother's neck. Nin gave a cry of despair as the knife was dragged across, opening Rin's throat. Barach stepped aside to avoid getting Rin's pouring blood on his clothes. As life drained from the boy, the henchman threw him to the ground where he lay in a heap. Nin watched as his brother died, suddenly unable to move again.

Taurun meanwhile had recovered from his fall, and as Rin was killed, was now stumbling away from the scaffold blindly. He was not aware of his son's death as he attempted to save himself. Barach now turned and was aware of Taurun running. He swiftly motioned to one of his body guards, and the man pulled a large bow off his back and fitted an arrow. Nin was gasping in horror, his entire body shaking, as he fell to his knees. The bowman jumped onto the scaffold and drew the bow, aiming for Taurun. The dart was loosed, and it flew with true aim, striking Taurun in the back of the neck. He was dead before he hit the ground, and so the rescue attempt failed.

Nin heard the arrow strike his father, but his eyes were glued to his brother's body crumpled in the dirt. The crowd now went silent in the aftermath. Nin continued to gasp and tremble, the sickness rising in him. He then pitched forward and vomited into the dirt. The events at the execution had preoccupied all the villagers from noticing Nin and Gin despite his actions. She now came upon him again, and seizing his arms attempted to drag the heavier man away, knowing he could at any moment be noticed. Nin had no energy to resist her and stumbled back to his feet, spitting vomit from his mouth. Together he and Gin turned and fled the market. They bee-lined to the gate, where the gate keepers were also staring at the fight. They did not notice the two rush through the open gate until they were already well on their way up the road at dead sprint. They called after them in vain, but did not pursue them, turning their attention back to the market.

Barach went to the body of the boy he had just murdered. "Show me the boy's face." He ordered one of his guard, and the man stopped and dragged up the head by its hair. Barach saw now that it was indeed Rin, and smiled evilly. He chuckled, "Just saved myself 200 pieces, it is a good day indeed." He turned then and strutted away as other henchman came and dragged away the boy's body. The overseers all held large fenced in properties, most located further east behind the village. A small private gate was located in the east wall, which was closely guarded and only the Overseer's were permitted to use it. This was where Barach headed while his guard followed him. Before he had taken ten steps however, another henchman ran up to him calling, "My lord!"

Barach turned and addressed the runner coldly, "What is it." "The gatekeeper just spoke to me, he says that a few minutes ago, a young man and woman ran through the gate, he is unsure, but believes the man may have been the older son of Taurun!" Barach's eyes went wide, and the evil smile slid back onto his ugly face. "Bring the gatekeeper to me at once! And fetch a copy of the boy's description! Gather the hunters, I want this boy followed." He ordered, and the henchman ran off again at once. "It seems my fortune is indeed boundless today." Barach thought to himself, and suddenly feeling rather generous, he pulled a small sack of coins from his pocket, and headed for the tents where the whores stayed.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9 "Hunted"

Nin and Gin ran. More accurately, he ran and she kept up with him. To Nin it seemed as if every grief of his life was returning to him in a massive tide. Uncertainty filled him. He didn't know what to think, what to feel, what to do, but the burn in his lungs as he ran as fast as he could was the most acute thing he could feel, and it drowned to an extent his pain. So he ran as fast as he could. Beside him, Gin followed. She was weeping, her tears falling like raindrops in the winds of a storm as she raced to keep pace. Her anguish was not her own, but for the one person she had ever loved. Both were haunted by the sight of Rin's blood stained face, the psychotic madness in his eyes, and in the end the torrent of his blood in the dirt.

Though neither of them knew it, their desperate sprint from the market possibly held the key to Nin's survival as well. For Barach's order had been obeyed and a company of his hunters now tracked Nin and Gin. They went along at a fair pace as well, easily able to track the runners, but the desperate speed of those they pursued far out matched them, and more over Nin and Gin had about a half an hour head start. The course Nin took veered south off the road before the crossroads in a short cut through the trees, then across the road leading to his old home, and on southwest into the forest. As they entered the trees, the hunters were forced to go even slower to track them. Meanwhile Nin continued to fly, showing no signs of stopping, and Gin was desperately keeping pace with him, though she was laboring now heavily. Still though, they continued on a good ways, making it well over a mile into the woods.

They were now approaching the river, and Nin finally began to feel his strength leaving him. As they reached the edge, he collapsed into the dirt of the bank, and Gin after him. Nin now loosed his held tears, and together they wept, clasping each other's hands. It was a good twenty minutes before either of them could focus enough to see where they were, and they still were unaware they were being pursued. The hunters were closing quickly.

Gin came to herself first, and sitting up surveyed their surroundings. They were about 15 minutes walk south of the old cave where Nin once dwelt, where she had been rejected by him. The thought of which still stung her heart. Another ten minutes later, Nin managed to drag himself to his knees and wipe his eyes. He brushed back his hair and breathed deeply to finish calming himself. Looking to Gin he saw the remnants of her tears and compassion flooded his cold heart, warming it. Reaching to her, he gently brushed the last tears from her eyes, and stared into them. For several minutes they looked at each other, and at the end, Nin leaned close to her. Their lips drew close and were just about to brush when Nin's sharp ears pricked, suddenly the woods seemed very quiet, and he could hear something in the far distance.

He startled and jumped to his feet, spinning in the direction of the sound. She followed his gaze and wondered at what he was reacting too. Nin listened close, but heard no more, and was starting to think he had imagined it, but then he heard again, and it was closer. It was the hunters, their pace had significantly quickened, though they were still about a quarter mile away. Nin seized Gin's hand, and half dragged her back into a dead sprint. She was unprepared and stumbled several times, but Nin did not let go of her hand. He raced them in the direction of her home, knowing he needed to get her to safety so that he could alone try to elude the pursuit, as Gin did not possess his skill in the woods.

They went as fast as they could manage, both still being exhausted from their previous flight. Nin for the first time in his life, wished that Gin's father was home, so she would not be in danger of the hunters interrogating her for his whereabouts. Finally, they were close, and saw the signal tree in the distance. When they reached it, Nin stopped them and panting looked fiercely at Gin. "Listen, run past the tree fifty feet, turn and come back down the same path, then climb as high as you can into the tree and stay out of sight, wait until they leave then get home and stay there." Gin was too winded to answer so she just gave a fearful nod, and followed his instructions. Nin retraced his steps a bit, he didn't have much time, but enough to hopefully throw the hunters off Gin's trail. He started off in a new path, ran about a minute, then turned and went back. Four times he did this, created a star shaped pattern of false trails. At the last he took off in a sixth direction, going north east, and this time he sacrificed speed for a light foot fall and as much stealth as he could muster.

It was only a minute later that Nin heard the Hunters' voices coming down Gin and his own original trail. Nin slowed to almost a walk, treading carefully and almost silently, keeping close to the trees. In this way he made his way steadily away from the trap he had set. When the hunter's reached the place where Nin had set up the decoy trails, He was already a half mile from that place, and Gin was high in the signal tree, pressing herself tightly to the old bark, the brown shade of her dress effectively camouflaging her. She saw two hunter's following her trail, and she shuddered, remaining absolutely still in her hiding place. The hunter's continued past the tree to where Gin had ended her false path. They conversed incomprehensively for a few second then slowly wandered back down the false trail, checking closely their surroundings. Gin hoped as hard as she could they would leave the tree alone.

They moved past the tree a second time and one called to the others in a deep voice, "It's a fake trail! This little shit is crafty." A reply came from a little ways away, "There are four other trails here! We need to search out the false ones quickly or we will lose him!" The two hunters now broke into a jog and left the signal tree, in which Gin watched them go, still too afraid to move. As they were about to be out of sight of the trees, the one who had shouted stopped, and as if by some compulsion, turned and stared back again at the gnarled tree. Gin had luckily remained absolutely still, but the way the hunter stared now made her think he had noticed something, and in fear she attempted to shift herself around the trunk to get out of sight. This small movement was noticed by the wary hunter, and his eyes zeroed on Gin's position in the tree. The other hunter now noticed his partner's pause and stopped as well. The first one without looking away from the tree waved the second over to him. He pointed at the signal tree and wordlessly indicated he had noticed something. Both men now drew long knives from their belts and moved silently back to the tree.

Gin had squeezed her eyes shut after moving behind the tree trunk, willing them with her thoughts to keep going, and so ironically she did not at first notice them doing just the opposite. So it was the hunters came nearly the full distance back to the tree before Gin opened her eyes, and seeing them now approaching the tree with drawn knives, lost her nerve. A gasp escaped her lips and she startled back, nearly losing her grip. In her recovery, the branches shook, and the hunters, who had not yet been certain she was there, saw her position high in the tree. "Here! One of them is in the tree!" He bellowed to his fellows. Fear unhindered seized Gin, and she knew she was in real trouble.

Four more hunters came crashing through the trees, and with the first two they surrounded the trunk. Gin held onto the tree branches with sweating hands, her eyes scoured the forest around her, looking, hoping, praying for anyway to escape, but she knew she was caught. She began to hyperventilate, uncertainty filled her, and she thought her only chance was to get as high into the tree as possible, and hope Nin came back. Immediately her heart seemed to swell within her though, and she dismissed that wish, wishing instead that Nin stayed far away, as likely he was. She would endure anything for his sake, and would rather he remained safe and free.

Gin's lip trembled as the hunters stared up at her menacingly. A short one with long hair and black eyes shouted up to her, "Come down girl! The boy you were with is who we want, help us find him and we don't need to hurt you!" The smile that followed was not comforting, and Gin could read in it the ways she would be hurt if she disobeyed. Her instinct of self-preservation warred with her heart, which under no threat of any sadism or death would betray Nin. She was a martyr at heart, and wished now the fall was great enough that it could kill her, for likely she would only be maimed if she jumped, and still subject to torture. Tears fell from her eyes as the hopelessness of her situation become more apparent with each minute, and the will seemed to fall from her with each tear.

The hunters laughed at her tearful lack of response. "Don't be a fool girl, come with us and tell what you know, Lord Barach is generous when obeyed, but imaginative in punishment when not." Chuckled the short one. "She looks pretty defeated Malik, maybe we should just up and get her?" Said the bass voiced hunter who had found Gin. "Aye." Answered Malik, "We don't have time for this. Go get her Hack." The hunter called Hack put the knife he carried in his teeth, and dropped the small bag on his back. Skillfully he swung his slight frame up into the branches and climbed swiftly.

Gin saw him coming through her tears and gritted her teeth through her sobs, trying to focus like she saw Nin do. She knew she could not fight off this man toe to toe, but being higher in the tree she held the advantage, and he was off his guard thinking her just a broken weeping girl. While her tears continued to fall, she guilefully hung her head and maintained her image of weakness, while she watched him carefully, waiting for the chance to strike. Hack climbed on unwarily, a small sinister smile on his face behind the razor sharp blade in his mouth, while his companions looked up at the impending conflict with sharp interest.

Gin had formed her attack strategy by the time Hack got close. She could see he was aiming for the branch slightly higher than her on the opposite side of the tree, which would give him a positional advantage, and Gin could not reach this branch being too short. In order to reach it however, he would need to stand vertically on the next branch down, and Gin had a plan.

Hack reached the lower branch, and Gin watched him carefully position his feet on top and begin to rise to his full height. She immediately stopped her sobs, and made her move, swiftly grabbing a small branch on the side of the tree between her and Hack, swinging down from it with her feet in front of her. With full force she kicked him in the side of the head as he was nearly fully extended, and with a cry of pain and surprise, he lost his grip and toppled off the branch. The other hunters watched as Hack went 10 feet down and hit a large branch full on his back with a crunch. He gave a choking gasp as his body slid off and continued to fall the rest of the way down, hitting the forest floor in a heap, and laying completely still.

Gin now hung by her arms from the thin branch, and triumphant relief brought bubbling laughter to her lips, and she tossed her head back as she released it, heedless of her other opponents. These five men left looked at their fallen comrad, and Malik went to his crumpled and broken form, seeing immediately that his back and neck were broken in the fall, and he was dead. One of his men was Hack's brother, who was tall and wiry and looked similar to Hack, and this was the archer of Barach's body guard who had killed Taurun during his attempted escape. In his rage he pulled his bow again from his back and strung an arrow, aiming up at Gin who was still laughing while hanging from the branch. In her hysterical mirth, she did not notice him release the arrow.

Malik saw the bow drawn, and too late shouted, "NO!" The arrow flew on perfect line towards Gin, but as she shook with laughter, her sweaty hands slipped from the thin branch, and she fell before the arrow could reach her. The arrow stuck into the gnarly tree behind where Gin had been hanging as she fell with a scream. Fate spared her as she missed the lower branches. Malik jumped quickly under her, though she was falling too fast for him to catch, she landed slightly on him and knocked him to the ground, which saved her from major injury. Malik grunted in pain and rubbed his shoulders and head where she had hit him, though he was unhurt. However, Gin had landed awkwardly on her wrist and it broke under her, twisted to an unnatural angle.

The other hunters sprang on her instantly, roughing dragging her up by her hair at which she screamed in pain and fear. The pain from her wrist went straight to her stomach and threatened to make her vomit. Hack's brother glared hatefully at her as he unsheathed his knife, intending still to kill her, but Malik recovering jumped up and defiantly ordered, "Stop!" The other hunters followed the order and heeded him while still holding the sobbing Gin firm, but Hack was mad with his rage and still approached her with the naked blade. Malik strode over to him and seized his shoulder, throwing him away from the girl with strength that belied his size. "You fucking idiot! Stop! We need the bitch alive." The other man seethed furiously, looking to his brother's corpse in the leaf litter, but managed to restrain himself. Malik turned on Gin, whose cries were utterly unheeded, and she looked at him with eyes filled with uncontrollable terror. Stepped up to her, Malik swung his fist into the side of her head, causing Gin's teeth to rattle and her ears to ring, but she stayed conscious. Malik then hit her again, and Gin barely felt the blow this time as it knocked her out cold.

The hunters left her there in a heap. They went then to Hack's body, realizing the dead man's brother had wandered off into the trees. One custom defied all the inhumanities that beset the Easterlings. The burial of the dead was considered utterly necessary, whether friend or foe. Some of the Easterlings still remembered through old stories the deeds of the Dark Lord, the desecration of bodies for dark or as a means of terror, and despised this, though at the time they hindered it not in their dread and subservience. So now the hunters began with what small tools they had to dig a shallow grave.

Meanwhile, Nin had escaped into forest, believing Gin was home safe by now, and that his trap had sufficiently thrown the hunters off his trail. He had returned to the cave, planning to hide out until the hunt was over. However, he could not have been more wrong, as an unconscious Gin was now being carried back to the village by Barach's men. As the sun began to fall, a shadow fell over Nin's mind, though he knew not the cause. Soon he began to lose his previous confidence that he had thwarted the hunters so thoroughly, and despite the peril, he determined to go make sure Gin was safe.

Cautiously he approached the signal tree again, but detected no human presence in the woods. Still, he was overly cautious, and feared that perhaps the hunters had read his purpose and were waiting in ambush. Eventually however, he realized it was not so, and approaching the tree, beheld a strange thing. There were obvious signs of the previous struggle. Nin knew the signal tree well enough to notice the broken and disturbed branches, and could see many foot prints surrounding the tree. He immediately was stricken with horror realizing Gin must have been found somehow. Then, about 20 feet from the tree, he saw the fresh mound of Hack's grave. There was some blood on the leaves from when they dragged him to the grave.

Nin ran to the mound in terror believing it was Gin's body. In desperation he began to claw at the dirt with his fingers, uncovering the body. The body had not been deeply buried. In a stroke of his hand, Nin touched the cold skin of the corpse. He fell back in revulsion, his blue eyes wild, and his long locks of dark hair falling around his face. He looked close with much effort, and saw that the garments of this body were not Gin's. Nin felt some small measure of relief at this realization, but knew then that she must have been caught alive, and wasn't sure if death wouldn't have been the better fate for his friend. Obviously, she had fought during her capture, and killed one of the hunters, meaning she was now a criminal in their eyes. Nin's mind realized these facts in anger and fear. Gin was in big trouble, and he was her only hope.

He crawled back away from the body, his revulsion rising within him. With a great effort he stood, and looked up at the signal tree. Seeing this symbol of his companionship with Gin, Anger rose above his fear and regret, and the thoughts of that morning returned to him. He gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He knew he would not leave Gin to be tortured to death if it was not too late, and if it was, he would find and punish those who did it.

Nin wasted no more time. Leaving the scene of Gin's capture he raced through the trees like never before, heading for a hiding place in the roots of a large oak tree where his bow and knife where hidden. He was done with running and hiding. He was going after Gin no matter what the cost…. He reached the tree and retrieved his weapons, then ran towards the village.

Nearing his destination, Nin slunk carefully through the trees. In his hands was a small recurved bow of typical eastern design, three feet long of heat treated strips of rare ash wood which Nin had discovered in the northern forests. This was shorter than most eastern war bows, but for Nin much more ideal for use in forest small game hunts. The string was made of tightly twisted fine linen that Nin had bought in the market for a hefty price since most eastern bow strings were of animal sinew, but the linen string lasted much longer in the damp woods where Nin lived. In a cloth pouch on his back were six arrows, two of which were barbed war arrows that Nin had scavenged from the market, the other four Nin had made himself to the best of his ability also using the stronger ash wood and a simple steel head, which made them easy to remove from the victim. The knife was a simple curved blade, no ornament of any kind, but very keen, and all too common among Easterlings.

The bow was Nin's most prized possession, and had kept him fed for the last two years. He loved archery more than sword play, and had taken great time to hone his skills. However until now, his targets had all be small animals, never had he seen a human target in his sights. The fury still burned in Nin's stomach, it steadied his hands, and suppressed his moral objections to murder. With great skill, the young man made his way through the trees, one of the barbed arrows notched in his string, and he was prepared to use it.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 "Revenge"

Gin stirred slightly. Consciousness returned to her in waves of pain. Her head ached unbearably, her right wrist was throbbing, and Gin had the distinct feeling something was out of place, which brought sickening fear almost worse than the pain. Everything was a dull ache, even her hair seemed to hurt. She opened her eyes but realized then that she was blind folded. A very strong odor surrounding her consisting of sweat, urine, burning candles, and sex. She could hear moans of passion coming from somewhere, though it seemed to be from a different room. She wiggled her uninjured left wrist and found that it was in an iron cuff, and bound to something unyielding by thick rope. In her fear and panic she shook her wrist desperately to no avail, bringing only more pain to her body.

She sobbed in despair, knowing not what hideous fate awaited her. Each minute brought another twisted vision of her possible futures. She did not know how long she sat there, enduring fear induced nightmares of pain and degradation. She wanted to wrap her arms around her knees, but her right wrist lay useless on the ground, and her left was on too short a chain. She wanted Nin's arms around her, to comfort her and deliver her from this hellish situation, but he was far away, and probably still unaware of where she was. She felt drowsiness creeping on her and in her despair she did not fight it. She had no will to fight, and was witless. She allowed the waves of pain to drown her into the blackness.

She awoke to movement. She reacted in cringes of helpless terror, which out matched her physical pain. She managed not to cry out, though her lips trembled. She sensed a figure nearing her, and then felt and smelled warm sour breath in front of her. The blind fold was pulled off roughly, and she looked into the eyes of the archer who had tried to kill her at the signal tree. She gasped in her terror and began to moan uncontrollably. The man sneered at her hatefully, and snickered, "Oh don't you fear me now you stupid bitch. He he he, oh no I did not come here to hurt you. I know better now, death for you would have been a mercy. Just you wait whore, soon you will wish to see me again, and beg for death at my feet!" Gin barely heard his threatening words. His mere presence and the odor of his breath overwhelmed her, and she squeezed her eyes shut and looked away. The man turned away from her now and drank deeply from a large mug in his right hand. Going to the corner of the room, he unbuttoned his trousers and relieved himself in the corner, adding to the cocktail of foul scents in the room. Gin refused to look, and in her thoughts begged desperately for help, from anyone, even her father.

The man finished peeing and sat down on a bench along the wall and stared at Gin hatefully, though he did not touch her. Minutes passed during which Gin's feared continued to grow as she pondered his threatening words. The moans of passion had stopped, and suddenly, Gin heard footsteps in the hall. She shrank further back both physically and mentally. Into the room came Barach. He was naked from the waist down, and wearing a very satisfied evil grin. Gin refused to look, she felt her conscious mind sinking further down, numbing her. She did not want to be there for was potentially about to happen to her.

Barach smiled at the crumbled girl in front of him and turned to the other man, "Did you do anything?" "No, I did not harm her as you said." He answered, and Barach nodded being pleased. He walked up to Gin who still did not acknowledge him. He remained upright so that when he stood in front of her his moist, soft, penis hung in front of her. Faintly in Gin's deeply retreated mind she was aware of the strong scent of his genitals, obvious just used in the brothel. He spoke, "Who is your father girl?" His voice held the confidence and nonchalance of someone completely confident and in control. Gin heard him somewhere in her recess, but did not answer. After several seconds had passed, Barach reached down and seized the girl by her hair.

The shock of the sudden violent action dragged Gin back to the surface of awareness, and she managed only a brief gasp as Barach glared into her eyes. "When I ask you a question you answer me bitch." He hissed at her, spittle flying into her face. Then he struck her hard, dazing the terrified girl as the sting spread across her face. "Understand?" Asked Barach calmly, his cold emotionless demeanor returning. Gin managed a brief nod and a squeak of fear. She cowered before the half-naked man, barely able to remember the question. After a few seconds Barach raised his hand again, and Gin cowering back screamed out her father's name as tears ran down her face.

Barach's slightly round face wore a look of concentration as he pondered over the information, wondering what he could get from the father of the girl he held captive. He set this thought aside and returned to the subject of the Nin, the son of a bitch who infuriatingly eluded his men. Pride burned within his black heart followed by an evil joy that he now had a means to ensnare the boy. Though his own lust was sated for the moment, he knew the henchman next to him would not leave this girl unspoiled, and that was a satisfying thought. Turning to the archer he commanded, "Do what you want with her, but leave her alive for now. She may still prove useful." The archer sneered at these words, and Gin began to hyperventilate.

Barach turned and left the room, musing on his good fortune and plotting his next move. He had a suspicion that the boy may come for this girl, and he planned to use this to his full advantage. He heard the sobbing coming from the girl as his servant began to cut her clothes off with a long knife.

Nin approached the market with caution. The main gate was now under close guard under Barach's orders, and Nin predicted that the eastern gate was now less heavily watched than usual. The market was surrounded by a wall made up of wooden stakes sunk into the ground. The entrances were guard by two watch towers, one on each side. Nin snuck around the east side, keeping his distance. The land was very open save for a few tangles shrubs and small trees which made a direct approach impossible. Nin watched, planning a route that may allow him to the approach the wall of the market.

He put the arrow he had fitted away, and set off, crawling on his belly in places that were the most open, and darting from shrub to shrub, keeping his eyes on the two guards that watched the eastern gate. They were both on alert due to Barach's orders, but Nin was very skilled in hiding, and slowly he drew closer to the wall. He was ducking behind the last shrub between him and the wall, and preparing to make a dash for the wall itself. He planned to hug the wall as tightly as he could and sneak close enough to shoot the guards. He waited for an opportunity, watching the guards with furious eyes.

At this time, a messenger from Barach came to the guards and told them of Barack's desire to trap Nin as he tried to come after his captive friend. Barach had not predicted that Nin would come so soon and with such speed, and inadvertently had given Nin the chance to elude his trap. As the three men conversed atop the tower, Nin sprinted to the wall and silently pressed his back to it. He waited a few seconds to gather himself and slow his breathing. As silently as he could he crept along the wall towards the gate, and re-notched the arrow to his bow.

The messenger climbed back down the tower ladder and began to walk away. The second guard had come over to the tower closest to Nin in order to join the conversation, leaving the far tower empty. This was also to Nin's advantage as he was now able to sneak right up to the foot of the tower without being seen. He peeked inside of the gate, and saw the messenger walking away. He pulled out a second arrow and put it in his teeth. Quickly he drew his bow and aimed carefully. Nin released the arrow, and with true aim it struck the retreating messenger square in the back. The messenger managed only a brief shocked cry as he fell, but it was enough to alert the guards in the tower. They turned away towards him, just as Nin had hoped. He quickly notched the second arrow and darted back away giving him the angle he needed to aim up at the tower. The second arrow pierced the first guard in the back of the throat, and he fell forward out of the tower, unable to make any sound.

The last guard was now fully aware of an enemy, and began to shout for aid. Henchman and other overlords rushed out to see the wounded messenger bleeding out in the dirt. Frantic eyes scanned the gate for the shooter, but Nin had not hesitated. He was already sprinting down the inside of the wall, and managed to turn the corner behind a large tent. The second guard was also looking frantically around, and managed to catch a glimpse of Nin as he ran. He pointed in the direction Nin had gone as several other henchmen gave chase.

Meanwhile inside the brothel, Barach had heard the shouts that an intruder was in the overlords' district. He sneered with fury at the news. Nin had spoiled his plan with his swift action. He dressed himself quickly and grabbed a long scimitar that lay nearby. He walked swiftly out of the brothel in the direction of the commotion with furious purpose. Inside the room he had left, the archer had cut all of Gin's clothes away, and was preparing to take his revenge. He did not hear the shouts coming from outside, being focused on the naked girl before him. Gin was now sobbing uncontrollably as she lay exposed before the man. She did not fight when he forced her legs apart, and when he entered her, she let out a scream of pain and despair.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11 "Life and Death"

Nin, crouched in hiding behind another overseer's large tent, was watching as guards and henchman from all over searched for him in frenzy. His bow was in his hands, an arrow ready at the string. He waited patiently to make his move, hoping to hear something of the whereabouts of Gin or Barach. He saw several guards following his trail along the wall, quickly closing on his position. Quickly he dashed from his hiding place, moving low and quick to another tent near to the southern edge of the estate. He could hear moans of passion from inside, and knew that this must be some sort of brothel. He scanned the area again while ducking behind a barrel near to the entrance.

A despairing feeling began to sink into Nin's heart. He was in trouble and he knew it. The entire area was on alert for him, and he had no idea where they were keeping Gin. Even if he some how managed to find her, their chances of escaping were very slim. Barach had a ruthless reputation, and would spend any amount of resources to hunt them down. As Nin watched and pondered his situation, Barach emerged from the brothel with scimitar in hand and stalked furiously towards the watchman's post.

Nin had to blink several times before he could grasp his good fortune. He recognized Barach's hideous bald head as he walked away. A massive internal war played itself out in Nin's head in just a few moments. He realized reluctantly that he had two goals. He was here first to rescue his friend, but as he saw the slayer of his family walking away unaware, the fire of lethal vengeance burned its way into his heart and mind. Barach was the only sure source of information on where Gin was being held, and the choice of whether or not to kill him here and now may also control her fate.

Before Nin had even reached a conscious decision, he felt his hands moving, and the bow was drawn. The practiced muscles brought the arrow to his sight, and Nin realized he was seconds from taking the man's life. He breathed quickly, and his hand twitched unsteadily. Barach was getting further away, and in this state Nin had little chance of making the shot. Finally the fire in his heart won out, and with a final calming breath he prepared to release the arrow.

At this moment, a piercing scream rang out from the tent behind him. The shock of it spoiled Nin's concentration before realization dawned on him – it was Gin's voice! Fear flowed through Nin's body, effectively extinguishing the fire that had nearly taken Barach's life. Heedless of all else he immediately dropped his bow and ran into the tent. Barach did not hear the scream. He was shouting orders at his men and demanding information, unaware of how close he had been to death.

Gin's scream was just dying as Nin entered, and he was able to identify the room from which it came. He sprinted to it and turned the corner inside. What he saw nearly broke him. Gin was nearly naked, just scraps of clothing clinging to her body. The archer was oblivious in his sadistic pleasure. Nin eyes met Gin's tear streaked face. Her eyes were wrenched closed, and the look of anguish there made Nin's knees buckle. The fire that had been quenched suddenly roared to life with the ferocity of the gods. Nin was consumed, and a look of murderous hate crossed his ashen face. His knife was still on his belt, and with shaking fingers he drew it. His rage erupted with a roar of animalistic fury and he charged the bastard that was breaking the one person left on earth he loved. The archer did not have time to react to Nin's roar, as Nin charged forward and seized the man by the hair. Wrenching his head back, Nin put the blade to his neck and opened his throat.

The archer managed one gasp of startled fear as his blood sprayed over the girl he had been hatefully raping. Nin dragged the dying man back by his hair and threw him down on his back, leaping on top of him. As life left the archer he could still feel Nin's blade stab him in the eyes and face over and over. Nin continued to scream in fury as he blindly stabbed every piece of the man he could. Gin was still weeping. Her entire body hurt, but she was aware that the man was no longer on top of her, and could hear the roars of rage coming from across the room. Through her fear, some part of her recognized Nin's voice.

Gin opened her eyes in time to see the last of Nin's furious stabs. He finally dropped the knife, and climbed off of the long dead man. Gin saw him standing there, blood dripping from his face and hands as waves of blackness finally over came her, and she fainted.

Nin was gasping for breathe as his fury ebbed. He turned away from the corpse and fell to his knees. Tears began to flow from his eyes, washing the blood down his face. In his mind, he could see again his brother's face just before his death; the look of madness and hate. The image of Rin suddenly morphed into his own face, wearing the same expression, and his tears came even harder. He did not know how long he knelt there, but eventually he raised his head and saw Gin unconscious, still chained to the post by her unbroken hand.

He stumbled to his feet. The commotion had alerted some of the other people in the brothel, but they were reluctant to enter the room, believing Barach was still inside. Realization dawned on Nin, and he knew he had to move quickly. He dragged himself up and went to his friend. He inspected the bond on her wrist, and quickly looked for a key. Going to the dead man on the ground he checked his pockets, and got lucky. The archer was still holding the key after chaining Gin up earlier. Nin quickly released gin and pulled her into his arms. He grabbed a blanket that lay on a stack of barrels in the corner and wrapped her in it. He then threw her over his shoulder, bearing her weight as best he could.

He knew they could not leave through tent entrance; no doubt others had been alerted to his presence by now. Setting Gin down carefully, Nin grabbed the bloody knife from the ground and went to the back wall of the tent. He stabbed the blade through the material and slashed down, making a wide rip. Sheathing the blade he picked gin up again and stuck his head through the opening. Not seeing anyone outside, he stepped through and quickly as he could ran down the southern wall.

Barach and his men were still searching every tent in the estate; occasionally meeting resistance from other overseer's who did not appreciate the intrusion. This had bought Nin and Gin precious moments as the events in the brothel unfolded. Nin carried a still unconscious Gin as quickly as he could, heading for the gate to the main market. Barach had recruited most of the gate watchers in his search, but one man still guarded the market gate. Nin made his along the wall towards the gate. Seeing the guard, he stopped and set Gin down as gently as he could. He didn't want to leave her, and even more did not want to kill again, but he was desperate and out of options. Drawing his knife again he went silently towards the man who was facing away towards the market. Coming upon him from his left, Nin closed the distance to about ten feet. Gathering himself, he took two steps and sprang on the man.

The guard was on high alert, and while he did not hear Nin coming he sensed his danger. While Nin was in mid leap he turned in time to see the boy coming at him. Throwing out his arms he was able to deflect the knife blade away from his body, receiving a large cut on his arm in the process. Nin fell upon the man and they went to the ground with Nin on top. Nin raised his dagger again, and the man looked up at the desperate and blood soaked face, and piercing blue eyes of the young man. He screamed in terror and threw up his arms again in an attempt to save his life. He was able to get hold of Nin's arm, and both pushed with all their might to gain the advantage.

Nin forced the blade down with all his might. He saw the terror filled brown eyes of the man under him, who was probably only 5 years older. Revulsion filled him, but he knew he had only seconds to escape. Suddenly the man managed to throw a knee into Nin's side and knock him off balance. They rolled and Nin found himself on his back now, but he had been here many times in his life. He skillfully turned his hips and hooked one leg around the outside of the man's torso. Throwing his momentum around, he rolled them both around again while shifting himself so that he was now behind the man. Using this advantage he held the man in a headlock and wrapped his legs around him. He brought up the knife in his other hand and drove it quickly into the man's side.

The guard howled in pain, and Nin quickly released him. He was out of time and he knew it, already Barach and his men were aware of the commotion and were coming his way. He sheathed the knife quickly, leaving the guard bleeding in the dirt. Gin was slumped against the wall where he had left her, and was just beginning to come around. She looked groggily up at him as he came to her, but there was no time for words. Nin grabbed her and threw her up on his shoulders again and ran to the gate. He passed the bleeding man on the ground and could not stop himself from looking back at him. "I'm sorry." He thought to the man.

Barach and his men were sprinting towards the gate, having heard the screams of the guard and now seeing him lying on the ground. Barach saw Nin standing at the gate with Gin on his shoulders. For a brief moment he locked eyes with the boy, and saw bloody face twist into a sneer before he jogged away into the crowded market. "GET THAT LITTLE SHIT!" Barach roared to his men, who scrambled towards the market as quick as they could.

Nin pushed his way through the crowded market place, earning a lot of protests and middle fingers that he did not hear. He was exhausted and running out of options. He knew he had no chance of making it through main gate, and his heart was on the verge of giving out. He stopped in the middle of the market, still holding Gin. He looked around desperately for any option, and if he had had any faith in a higher power he would have been praying to them with all his might. Whether Eru was on his side or not, Nin once again found himself in luck. Standing at a market stall to his right was of all people – Gin's father.

Knowing that Gin's father was no guarantee of safety, Nin had no other options. He gritted his teeth fiercely and shoved his way over to the man. He reached him and grabbed the man by his shirt, yanking him around so he was facing Nin. In all the shock and surprise of that day none matched that of Gin's father as he saw a blood stained Nin standing behind him with something wrapped in a large blanket draped over his shoulder. Looking closer he noticed the dark curls of his daughter falling out of the blanket, and his shock doubled just in time for the air to leave his lungs as Nin punched him hard in the gut.

After punching him, Nin quickly set Gin down and grabbed his knife. He knelt down in front of the man who was already turning red. Putting his knife to his throat Nin hissed to Gin's father, "Listen you contemptuous bastard! Get your daughter out of here safely or I swear I will find you and I will kill you…" Barach and his men were coming quickly, and Nin dropped the knife. He picked up Gin yet again and this time tossed her at her father. The speechless man stumbled but caught his daughter barely, and Nin immediately took off. Who knows what made Gin's father obey the command of the boy, his macabre look, his honest threat, the men coming in pursuit, or some measure of care for his offspring, but the man carried Gin away from the men who were only focused on a fleeing Nin. Eventually he escaped the market with her, and brought her home.

Nin could not afford to wait and see if his order had been obeyed. He ran as fast as his exhausted legs could carry him towards the gate. Barach was coming fast behind him and saw him making a break for it. He did not register that Nin was no longer carrying the girl. "CLOSE THE GATE YOU IDIOTS!" He bellowed at the gate guards. They heard him and began to carry out the order, but too late; as the gate began to close Nin streaked by them like an arrow, through the gate, and down the road. Nin had escaped.


End file.
